Picking Apples This Weekend? Time for Crisps, Cobblers and Crumble!

We are in apple season!  Whether you are picking your own apples or going to a local farm stand and buying your apples, eating them off the tree or making apple sauce, you can always use a new recipe with what to do with all the apples you now find in your kitchen especially if it is an easy recipe!

Apple Pies are great to make but if you want something simpler without a crust try a crisp, cobbler or crumble!  I must admit I get confused as to what is the difference between a crisp, cobbler or crumble and even after I tell you I think I will always forget which is which!  Maybe it is because they all blend together in my mind!  Here goes:

A crisp is a deep dish fruit dessert with a crumb or streusel topping.

A cobbler is a spoon pie, a fruit stew with dumplings.

A crumble is a British dessert topped with a crumbly mix and less rich than a crisp.

It is a tradition during Rosh Hashanah to celebrate with apples.  I like to include apples in some of the food I cook for the holidays.  This year in addition to my apple kugel I also made a Bourbon Apple Crisp, a recipe I found recently  which got rave reviews and has already been requested for me to make for Thanksgiving if not before.

I liked this recipe because it was simple, simple ingredients and simple to make and instead of adding sugar to the apples the recipe called for maple syrup which I thought would be a nice change.   How bad can something be when adding a little bourbon?  Not bad at all!  The only mistake I made was not doubling the recipe!   This is a recipe that I would like to share with you.  It is a keeper recipe one I know I will make often!

BOURBON APPLE CRISP

For the topping:

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. packed light brown sugar

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into -inch chunks

1/2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)

For the filling:

3 lbs. tart baking apples, peeled and sliced 1/3-inch thick (about 8 c.)

3 T. maple syrup

3 T. bourbon

1 T. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

To make the topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in the work bowl of a food processor and pulse to blend. Add the butter, a few pieces at a time, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and stir in the oats.

To make the filling, place the apples in a large bowl and add the maple syrup, bourbon and lemon juice. Toss well to coat. Pour the apple mixture into a 9-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the apples are bubbling. Cool the crisp on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.